Meat hanger



Nov. 2l, 1933. v, coNQUr-:ST r-:r AL

MEAT HANGER Filed Sept. 21, 1932 Patented Nov. 21, 1933 srArEs PAT eifrig.

1,936,330' MEAT HANGERu Illinois Application september' 21, 1932 y v seria1N0.634,120 i Y 5 Claims. (Cl. 17-44) Our invention has to do with improved devices for suspending meat pieces during the operation of smoking and is particularly adapted to the hanging of bacon on smoke house rails or trees.

We are acquainted with the many hangers of this type hitherto devised and are familiar with their use in practice, and this invention is designed to obvate objections found to-be present in the hangers of the prior art.

Taking as an example the smoking of bacon, usually in the shape of a soft flat slab or" elongated rectangular contour, it is important that the same be suspended in such manner that under the nfluence of gravity and shrinkage the shape shall be preserved; that the smoke shall have access to all such portions for uniform coloring and flavoring; that the supporting devices be such as to facilitate engagement and release of the meat pieces while assuring against accidental disengagement,

In order that the invention shall be readily understood from the standpoints of structure and use, a preferred embodiment of the same is set forth in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the hanger; and

Fig. 2 is an end view illustrative of the manner of use.

Having reference to the drawing, it will be noted that the hanger advantageously consists of two jaw members, one comprising the hook 11 formed of a rust-proof wire doubled upon itself, at the base of which hook the wires separate and are connected by a cross rod 12, thence extending downwardly at an angle of approximately 457 at 13 and again vertically downward in substantial parallelism to the hook shank at 14 and terminating in inwardly-turned eyes 15 within which is seated a cross rod 16. At the angle between the portions 13 14 is secured a cross rod 1'?, the end portions of which are bent downwardly at 18 and also provided with terminal irl-turned eyes 15 embracing the rod 16. Similarly at points intermediate the cross rods 16 and 17 is secured a cross rod 19 with its end portions bent downwardly at 20 and also provided with terminal inturned eyes l5 embracing the rod 16.

The reaches 14 of the wires 13 may obviously be lengthened the cross rods 16, 17 and 19 may be supplemented by other cross rods to increase the length and depth of the hanger where found desirable to accommodate extra large meat pieces. Other vertical wires 21 may be interposed between the wire portions 14 and the vertical reaches of the cross rods 1'7 and 19, these also having terminal eyes 15 engaging the cross rod 16.

The companion hanger-member comprises t wires 22 having eyes 23 pivotally embracing the cross rod 12. These wires 22 likewise are bent at an angle of approximately at 24 and are terminally provided with sharp spurs 25 extendinfrr at a slightly reentrant upward angle and shouldered at 26. Cross rods 27 and 28 are secured to the wires 22 and similarly bent downward at 29 and 30, terminating in shouldered spurs 25.

The vhanger is thus seen to comprisev relatively hinged members of reticulated wire construction forming gripping jaws, the lower edge of one jaw constituted of a plurality of inwardly turned eyes. and thelower edge of the companion jaw formed ,7,0 by inwardly projecting shouldered spurs.

It is to be noted that a rneat piece, such as a slab of bacon (Fig. 2), has presented to its skin or rind face 31 the sharp penetrating spurs and the liesh side 32 is engaged by the convex non- 1 penetrating eyes; moreover, that the depth to which the spurs 25 may penetrate is denitely limited by the shoulders 26 so that the edible iiesh portion of the meat will not be punctured and when the rind is trimmed away no mark of f contact with the spurs will remain, while the point-bearing of the convex surface ofthe eyes permits free access oi the smoke; as also'the open character of the hanger constructions forms no barrier to the smoke treatment.

The hanger is applied by swinging the spurred member to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the meat being inserted between the jaws of the two-part hanger, and the pivoted member being then swung inwardly and the l spurs pressed into penetrating engagement with the rind. The parts are so arranged and proportioned that gravity assists in maintaining engagement between the hanger and the meat.

It will be appreciated that we have devised a hanger in which the meat piece is gripped between opposed points on the jaws, thus reducing to a minimum the area not subject to smoke; that the hanger being of reticulated structure, the smoke has free access to all portions save 1100 the points of engagement; that the meat being supported on the flesh side by blunt convex suriacesand on the rind side by inwardly andupwardly projecting spurs limited to penetration of the rind, there are no punctures in the edible portion; that by the suspension by a hook off-set from the vertical planesrof the meat-engaging points on the jaws, the weight of the meat acts by gravity to maintain the same securely in the grip ci the jaws while facilitating disengageal 2. A meat hanger comprising companion jaw v members of reticulated construction pivotally connected, one of the jaw members being provided with spaced inwardly projecting blunt contact points and the other with spaced inwardly and upwardly projecting sharp spurs of a length to correspond substantially to the thickness of the meat rind and shouldered to denitely limit penetration.

3. A meat hanger consisting solely of reticulated wire and comprising companion jaw members pivotally connected, one of the jaw members being provided with spaced inwardly projecting blunt contact points and the other with spaced inwardly projecting sharp spurs of a length to correspond substantially to the thickness of the meat rind, said hanger being provided with means of suspension vertically off-set from its gripping edges whereby the weight of the meat tends to 4hold the jaws in gripping engagement and the hanger has point contact only with the meat as distinguished from extended surface contact.

4. A meat hanger comprising companion jaw members of reticulated wire construction pivotally connected, one of the jaw margins consisting of a longitudinal wire enclosed by inn `wardly-turned eyes formed on the vertical wires and the other jaw margin consisting of inwardly projecting spurs formed on the ends of the vertical wires and shouldered at a distance from their points to denitely limit penetration, said hanger being provided with means o suspension off-set vertically from its margins whereby the weight of the meat tends to hold the jaws in gripping engagement.

5. A meat hanger comprising companion jaw members of reticulated wire construction pivotally connected, one of the jaw margins consisting of a longitudinal wire enclosed by inwardly-turned eyes formed on the Vertical wires and the other jaw margin consisting of inwardly and upwardly projecting spurs formed on the ends of the vertical wires and shouldered at a.

Vdistance from their points corresponding substantially to the thickness of the meat rind to definitely limit penetration, that one of the jaw members having the inwardly-turned eyes beingV providedwith an integral suspending hook ofiset vertically from the plane of the gripping margin and that jaw member having the projecting spurs being hinged to the rst member in Verti-v cal alignment with the hook whereby the weight' of the meat tends to hold the jaws in gripping engagement.

VICTOR CONQUEST. GUSTAV REDEMSKE. EDWARD L. LALUMIER. 

